Cox proposes another $500 million for water conservation, warns Great Salt Lake could disappear within five years

In his State of the State address, Governor Spencer J. Cox stressed the urgency of water conservation for the Great Salt Lake, calling the current drought "the greatest in the Western United States in over 1,200 years" and citing a recent report that, he said, predicted the lake could disappear in five years.

Cox reminded the legislature that last year lawmakers passed 12 major water conservation bills and allocated $500,000,000 in new funding. He proposed an additional $500,000,000 in water conservation investment this session and urged policy changes to reduce per-capita water use and modernize agricultural practices. "We are not going to let that happen," the governor said of the lake's loss.

The governor framed farmers and ranchers as key partners in conservation and asked lawmakers to avoid demonizing agricultural interests while pursuing water savings. He did not provide bill numbers or a detailed spending plan in the address; legislative committees will need to vet specific projects and appropriation language during the session.